It Began with a Tie
by paranoid woman
Summary: COMPLETE last 3 chapters published - Summary: Sam really, really hates ties, but luckily, Spike is there to help him. SLASH, Sam/Spike. Rated K .
1. The Tie from Hell

**Title: **It Began with a Tie, Part 1/30 - The Tie from Hell  
**Characters/Pairings: **Sam/Spike  
**Word Count: **500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Sam really, really hates ties.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, prompt #17 Outfit.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg, who encourage me so much to write this and even gave me the title of the series. Thanks, sweetie!

**XxX**

**The Tie from Hell**

Black or dark blue. Dark blue or Black. To be or not to be the consdescent son of Mr. John Braddock…

"Sam," Spike greeted Sam as he got in the locker room, startling him.

Besides his locker, Sam looked at the dark blue unpacked tie he'd bought that morning on the way to work. "Spike." Maybe he could have chosen the black one… He was so bad at picking the right colors when it came to his dad. But actually, being Mr. Braddock's son should be enough. He shouldn't have to do anything for him to like him, much less coming back to Special Operations.

Taking a deep breath and trying to control his already growing annoyance, Sam tried the tie on, but the stupid thing didn't want to cooperate. "Damn tie," he grumbled as he tried to arrange it. It was a pain in the ass, just like his father.

He'd totally forgotten that Spike was there. "Hey, everything all right?"

The ironic truth just rolled out of Sam's tongue. "Of course it is. I just have to see my family tonight… and avoid my father seeing me around without the tie on."

"Really?"

"Yep. Even the wrong color could set the house on fire, if you know what I mean."

There was a strange, heavy silence but Sam decided to ignore it until Sam said, "Okay, let me," and got closer to him so he could help him out with the tie.

Sam shook his head lightly. "God, I hate formal clothes."

Spike laughed. "I used to say the same thing, but my mom kind of got me into suits, at least when it comes to family meetings. But whenever I say I look nice in them, suddenly I'm scared I've become her shadow."

Conversations with Spike were always nice and funny; Sam snorted and immediately started to relax. "Well, I certainly hope that doesn't happen to me."

"From what you say of your father, me neither…" Spike frowned at the tie, which apparently was still giving him trouble. "This is the tie from Hell."

"I know!"

As if it was a natural thing, Spike closed the gap between them and Sam stared down at the dark eyes that were focused on the tie. Suddenly, Spike's presence was too vivid, and the nearness started to get uncomfortable. Sam swallowed and tried to think of anything but the fact that he could feel the other man's fingers brushing his neck.

"There." Spike finished arranging the tie and patted Sam's shoulder as if they were closer friends than they used to be. "You'll be all right, man. Just remember to smile. Families are complicated but there's always some love there, no matter what."

Sam couldn't say a word about that. His house was everything but a home. At least he had Spike to talk about it. As he watched him walk away, his words hanged in the air. _There's always some love there._

He could only hope Spike was right.

**XxX**


	2. Coward

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 2/30 - Coward  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike  
**Word Count:** 200.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Sam has trouble getting ready to meet his father.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, prompt #9 Sorrow.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Coward**

Work was always a way to get some distraction. Today, it definitely wasn't.

Two hours before going home for the first time in weeks, Sam was at his apartment, putting on his suit. Choosing the right shirt had been a terrible experience. Soft green was too happy, black was for funerals and blue was simply too common. Finally, he decided to go for the white shirt – a neutral color that didn't send out any kind of message.

He arranged his tie and could almost feel Spike's fingers brushing his neck. Sam wished he was there to talk and help him overcome the pain. Spike was a really good guy; he understood family matters better than anyone and was willing to share long, great conversations so he could support his friends.

Already tired, he rubbed his eyes. The endless fights with his old man were in his head; his father's voice was always telling him he was absolutely incapable of doing something meaningful.

Sam opened his eyes and looked around. The apartment keys rested on the bed, calling for action.

Maybe he was a coward, but at this point he was willing to do anything to get a friend's company ASAP.

**XxX**


	3. Knocking at your Door

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 3/30 - Knocking at your Door  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Spike has an unexpected guest.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, prompt #8 Chance.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Knocking at your Door**

One call and that would be it. This was Spike's house, his neighborhood, his personal life. No matter how desperate Sam was, he shouldn't have come to bother him like this.

_Excuses, excuses._ He was going to ring the bell and he knew it. _C'mon, Sam. This is not so hard. You check out the territory, avoid the mother and walk away. There's a beautiful night out there. You're in your suit and you should get going anyway. Just ask for a chance, tell yourself you did what you could and move on._

He hesitated to ring and hated the situation. _For God's sake, just do it! In the worst case scenario, he'll just tell you he's busy. _Finally, he rang the bell and waited for someone to answer. The place seemed to be very calm.

When Spike opened the door, Sam was surprised to see him wearing a suit, too. "Sam."

"Hey…" Sam rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sure you're wondering what I'm doing here…"

"Kind of." Spike seemed to be a bit worried about the visit.

"Well…" _Say it, just say it._ "I was wondering if there was any chance I could... you know, stay for a while… Talk or something… Say 'hi' to your mom…"

"Wait. Didn't you have to see your dad tonight?" When Sam just nodded, Spike shook his head. "Sam…"

This had obviously been a terrible idea. "Look, forget it… It's fine, we can talk some other time. I have to be somewhere, and you're obviously going out. Sorry to bother you…" _And now I abandon the field._ Disappointed at his own attempt to avoid his father tonight, he started to walk away from the door.

"Wait."

"What?" Sam said, turning to the other man.

"One second." Spike went inside, took some things and then closed the door. "C'mon, follow me." He beckoned the car and he put a great wrapped up box in the backseat. "Get in."

_This is good._ A bit excited to leave his messy family life behind, Sam went towards the car and got in. As he was putting the seatbelt on, he asked, "Where are we going? Don't you have to be somewhere?"

"Yep, I gotta go to my brother's place. It's my little niece's birthday. My mom's already there with the lasagna."

Sam's energy was suddenly gone. Of course Spike wasn't going to save some of his family time to just hang out with him. "No problem… Could you leave me near the bus stop near the station?"

"I'm not taking you there, you're coming with me."

_Hell…_ "What? No, I can't…" Sam was starting to panic with the sudden proposal. "I didn't want to impose myself to your family, I didn't..."

Spike didn't seem to be willing to let him go anywhere else. "I know. I'm offering you an invitation now."

"But…"

"Shhhh, Braddock, don't say another word," Spike demanded as he hit the gas. "You'll have a good time. Sounds like you need it."

**XxX**


	4. Little Miss Vicky

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 4/30 - Little Miss Vicky  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, OCs.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Sam meets Spike's niece.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, prompt #3 Family.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Little Miss Vicky**

"Spike, welcome!" a guy with big, brown eyes told Spike when he opened the door.

"Hey!" Looking excited, Spike hugged the man and made the proper introductions. "This is my brother, Fabiano. Fabs, this is Sam. He works at the station, too."

Fabiano immediately started treating Sam as if he was a good, old friend of the family. "Nice to meet you, Sam! C'mon, take a seat!"

"Where is she?" Spike asked as Sam shook Fabiano's hand.

His brother looked at the house full of relatives. "Ah, she must be somewhere… probably with Aunt Emma. You know how much she loves her stories."

"Yeah… Okay, we'll be around. It's a great party!"

"Yeah, it is," Sam agreed. There were people of all ages in the room, which was full of colorful balloons, presents, food and drink. Everyone seemed to be having fun, talking and making jokes.

"We're having a very good time. Almost the entire family came… Hey, there she is." Fabiano smiled at a little girl in a yellow dress that was running towards him and then let her pass by so she could greet Spike. "Be nice to your uncle, okay?"

"Yes, Daddy," the girl said, and when her father was gone, she looked up. "Uncle Mickey!"

It was weird to hear someone call Spike "Mickey." Sam had to restrain a laugh as his friend pulled her up for a hug.

"This is little Miss Vicky, the birthday girl! Actually, the most gorgeous girl in the entire universe…" He kissed her forehead and caressed her brown hair. She was truly an adorable kid. "Vicky, I want you to meet someone."

Sam stepped forward, suddenly determined to build a connection. "Hey, Vicky… I'm Sam. Are you having fun today?"

"Yes, I am!" she said, offering him her hand as if she was an adult. Greatly surprised, Sam shook it. "Your brother brought you a present," he continued, showing her the wrapped up box with the gift.

"It's from both of us!" Spike explained, winking at him. "Why don't you go open it, sweetie? We hope you like it very much, as we picked it especially for you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. Then she placed a little, sweet kiss on his cheek and that seemed to melt Spike. Sam didn't laugh; this was something new for him, as he didn't see his relatives often.

"Vicky, behave!" Spike said when she took the gift and started walking away. But suddenly, the little girl left the box on the floor and came back.

Sam didn't know what to say or what to do when she hugged his legs. Frozen, he waited for her to let him go and go to open the present in the middle of the room. She should be a happy kid. Vicky had an amazing family. Everyone gathered to celebrate her birthday and show her how much they loved her.

"Congratulations, man. You've just won her heart," Spike said, inviting him to join the party.

**XxX**


	5. Casanova

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 5/30 - Casanova  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, OCs.  
**Word Count:** 400.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Spike's mother is a very passionate woman.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, prompt #4 Regret.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Casanova**

It wasn't very long until Mrs. Scarlatti found Sam in a corner of the room, watching the party with her son Spike.

"Well, hello there," the mature lady said, coming to shook his hand. She turned to Spike, silently asking for an introduction, and he seemed to be a little bit startled.

"Ah, right… Mom, this is my friend Sam Braddock."

Sam smiled at her. He'd wondered many times how Spike's mother looked like. He had to admit that she was still a very beautiful woman and that he could feel her amazing energy when she was around.

"What a handsome young man you are!" Mrs. Scarlatti exclaimed, cupping his face and placing a big kiss on his cheek. Sam froze and tried to keep up with the situation, but she was still talking to him. "I bet you drive the girls crazy with those eyes and that hair!" Soon, she was holding his son like he was a twelve-year-old. "Just like my Mickey!"

Spike was pretty uncomfortable, and Sam couldn't blame him. "Okay, Mom, we've got guests… What is Sam going to think?"

"He's going to think that I love you very much."

"Of course, Mrs. Scarlatti," Sam responded with a grin, but his eyes were fixed on Spike, who just took a deep breath.

"Oh, call me Susanna."

"Okay… Susanna," he repeated.

She laughed and almost blushed. "You're such a sweetheart! I think we're going to be very good friends! I won't forgive you if you don't save me at least one dance. I want to get to know you better, as you're Mickey's friend."

Sam shrugged. "Um… okay," he agreed. For some reason, a second later he got the feeling that he was going to regret it. He watched the woman go meet an old man and start what seemed to be a very entertaining conversation. "She's…"

"Crazy," Spike responded, staring at her, too.

"I was going to say 'passionate.'"

"Well… that wasn't the first thing that came to my mind, no matter how much I love her. Listen…" Suddenly, Spike shook his head and put a heavy hand on Sam's shoulder, getting closer to him. He was serious when he spoke. "Playing the Casanova with my mother… You better watch out or you'll regret it. I've got my eyes on you, Braddock," Spike warned him before his little niece Vicky came back and dragged him away.

**XxX**


	6. All the Right Questions

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 6/30 - All the right questions  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, OCs.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Sam discovers one of Spike's secrets.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, weekend prompt: glass.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**All the right questions**

He could do this. Yes, he could. This shouldn't be hard… but Spike's mom had a very interesting character and she seemed to be determined to monopolize the conversation as they danced.

"You know, there's a spark in my son's eyes when he looks at you. He's a really good man, did you know that? I never expected him to be any other way. I raised him, after all."

"You should be proud."

She took a firm grip on his hands, holding him closer. "I am! Mickey loves to help people. But that's not the main reason he joined the SRU."

"It's not?"

She shook her head. "He decided to become a cop after his father died."

There was no way Sam could have known that. Spike was an easy-going person but he'd never talked about that – at least since Sam had joined the team. "Ah… I didn't… I'm sorry."

"It's okay, he's with us all the time!" Spike's mother exclaimed, smiling. "His presence is here, protecting us. Besides, he misses my lasagna."

Sam snorted, loving how great and confident she was. "I bet he does. It was delicious."

Her smile was warm and her honesty made him feel safe, even if they were in the middle of the dance floor and probably being watched by everyone in the room. But suddenly, she said, "So, about that spark in Mickey's eyes… I can see why he wants to help you. You look so sad, my dear. What's causing you so much pain?"

The question caught Sam unguarded. "I, um…" He didn't know what to answer and he'd rather talk about happier things than the relationship with his father.

"You're a very good dancer, Sam. I wouldn't mind if you were my partner on a daily basis."

So besides being passionate and vibrant, Susanna Scarlatti was a psychic. "Wow… thanks. That's very nice of you," he responded, thankful that she'd decided to drop the subject.

"Don't thank me, I'm just telling the truth," she stated. "Everyone here's talking about you. Vicky's been keeping Mickey too busy, so it was impossible for him to make all the introductions. But don't worry, I've already talked to them. They know exactly who Sam Braddock is."

"Ah, good…" Sam wanted to disappear. Looking around, it looked like everyone was analyzing his responses and his interactions with Spike's mom. He swallowed and told himself that he was starting to imagine things. People weren't watching him, they were just having fun, and he should do that, too. He spotted Spike in a corner, talking to his brother and giving him a friendly hug.

Mrs. Scarlatti was letting him go. "Save me one more dance, caro mio!" she told Sam as she chose a new partner.

"I will, Susanna, I will," he responded, smiling, and he wondered if he could be any more obvious about what he felt towards his own family. The Scarlatti's had the ability to see through him like he was as transparent as glass.

**XxX**


	7. The Ways of Love

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 7/30 - The Ways of Love  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, OCs.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Family members have different ways to say how much they love each other.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, Monthiversary prompt: friendship.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**The Ways of Love**

Seated at the coffee table with Vicky by his side, Spike felt like the happiest uncle in the world. He was so proud of her. She was so smart for her age, and also the cutest thing he'd even seen.

"Happy birthday to you…" he sang, holding her close. When he looked up, he found Sam clapping and singing, too. He seemed to be having fun, and that was exactly the point. It only brought more happiness to Spike's heart.

Now that everyone had had some of Mrs. Scarlatti's delicious lasagna, it was Vicky's moment. She blew out the candles of her cake and then laughed as her family covered her face with kisses.

Soon Spike was joining Sam, who was watching the scene from the distance. "She looks so incredibly happy."

"She should. She's eight now!" Spike joked. When Sam laughed, he was glad he'd invited him to the party. "Are you having fun?"

"I think your family is amazing."

The compliment startled Spike a bit, since he was used to think his family was kind of messy and probably too happy most of the time. "Well… Thanks, I guess."

"You guess?" Sam beckoned the people surrounding Vicky. "Look at them! They're all cheered up, laughing and opening presents with her! They're making this day be the best of her life! Not everyone does that."

Worried, Spike asked him to sit down for a moment in a lonely corner of the room. "I'm sure your family loves you."

"If they do, they have a really weird way to show it." Sam took a deep breath and run a hand through his blonde hair. "No one has done anything like this for me before. You and I, we're friends, but not that close…"

"Who says that can't change, man?" Spike asked, patting the other man's shoulder. He really wanted him to leave the party feeling joy in his heart. It could allow him to face his father better.

Sam smiled widely and patted Spike's shoulder, too. "Thanks for bringing me here."

"No problem. The more, the merrier… Are you okay?"

"Yep. I think I'm ready to see my dad. I'm already late, so I better get going."

Satisfied with this outcome, Spike nodded, walked Sam to the door and opened it for him. He handed him his bag and said, "You know, I could give you a ride home…"

"Nah, it's okay. I've got a lot to think about," Sam answered, and he grinned. "You're a good friend… Mickey."

"Thanks very much, Sam." At least the guy was joking. That was a good sign. "Good luck."

"Thanks… See you tomorrow."

Spike closed the door and turned to the great party that wasn't over yet. In the middle of the room, Vicky was dancing with her grandparents. He enjoyed the image of Vicky dancing with her grandparents until her mother came along. She wanted him to follow her to the kitchen so they could start blowing up some extra pink balloons.

**XxX**


	8. Dear Father

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 8/30 - Dear Father  
**Characters/Pairings:** Spike/Sam, OFC.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Once the birthday party is over, Spike has a serious talk with his mother.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #15 Secret.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Dear Father**

A piece of cake in a plate landed in front of Spike on the kitchen table. "Here," Spike's mom said, handing him a fork.

He didn't pay much attention, he just enjoyed the cake. He couldn't forget about Vicky's dance and Fabiano's endless smile. Even Sam had had a fantastic time. Now that Spike and his mom were back at the house, the good memories were still around, but he wondered if Sam had gotten home safely.

"It was very nice of you to invite your friend to the party," she muttered, as if she could read his mind. "When we were dancing, we had a lovely conversation…"

What had his mom and Sam talked about? "I know, I saw you together…" Had he behaved?

"He told me he didn't know about your dad… you know."

Spike took a deep breath and left his fork on his place. This wasn't the place or the time to talk about his dead father. He didn't even want to deal with that issue after the great party he'd been at.

"It seems to be a secret that he's…" she continued.

"Sam's the new guy in the team, okay? Maybe he just hadn't found out about it yet…" Spike snapped, not letting her finish.

There was a moment of silence.

"Have you told the others?"

He didn't answer.

"It's better if you let it go. He's here with us, remember?"

"Sometimes it doesn't seem like it." It was hard for Spike to think of his father. He'd been a confident, passionate man who'd perfectly matched his wife's personality. They were a happy couple and had a beautiful family. And then suddenly he was gone and everything was broken and falling apart. Even after several years, he could still feel his absence. "I miss him, that's all. And no, I haven't told anyone. I don't want to go around answering people's questions about him and feeling like crap all the time…"

She patted his shoulder with affection. "Mickey… There's something going on with Sam and his family, am I right?"

"Yeah… He doesn't get along very well with his father," Spike explained. "He wasn't in the mood to see him tonight, so I asked him to come to cheer him up."

"That was a very good idea. I think he had a great time."

"It seemed so, yeah."

"What happened to him? He disappeared before the party was over."

"He had to go… He'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

The question startled Spike a bit. Her mother's eyes were full of wisdom when they focused on him. She knew him like the palm of her hand. She knew that no matter what Spike said, he was still worried about Sam.

"You're a good man, son. Have a good night." She kissed his forehead and walked out the room.

On the table, the piece of cake was waiting for Spike to eat it; and beside it, his cell phone was asking him to make a call.

**XxX**


	9. The SRU is where the heart is

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 9/30 - The SRU is where the heart is  
**Characters/Pairings:** Spike/Sam, mention of Sam/Jules, OCs.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** PG.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Sam's father always has something to say about his life.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, weekend prompt: glass.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**The SRU is where the heart is**

Walking into the dining room was like walking on broken glass for Sam. War zone. Soon he spotted his bag pack in a chair near the table where his mother was reading a book. It was great to have her around; she always knew what was in his heart.

He arranged his tie, since she'd always told him that gentlemen shouldn't let ladies see their manly parts – for example, their chests - in the first date. It was her favorite joke, but for some reason right now she wasn't in the mood to mock him. Sooner or later, the inevitable question would come up.

"Did you talk to your father already?"

"No…" he answered, not really wanting to talk about that.

She nodded. "What's up with Jules? Everything okay there?"

"Mom…"

"You never introduced us to any of your girlfriends, we hoped it'd be different this time, since we actually got a name from you. You talk about her so much that we thought we'd be able to invite her to dinner sometime. When will we get to meet her, huh?"

"I, uh…"

A deep, manly voice came up. "Yeah, son, when will we get to meet the little cop lady?" a tall, blond man said. His tone was almost insulting. Sam's hands turned into fists, but he managed to pass his father by and leave the room. "So the answer is 'never,' as usual," John Braddock coldly said.

Sam didn't respond.

"Are you embarrassed of us that much, Sam?" his father continued, but he still didn't get a reaction. "And now you walk away. How brave, son! Just like joining the SRU with the silly hope to make a difference…"

And that was it. The SRU was not negotiable for Sam. He went back to the man who'd criticized him since he'd left Afghanistan. "Give me a break, Dad! Every time I come home, it's like I'm walking on broken glass!" _In fact, the pieces are everywhere I step on and they cut me whatever I do or say. _"Look, you know I love Mom and you, but you don't get it. I'm staying with the SRU and no one gets to try to make me change my mind," Sam stated, with much more passion than he expected. "This is my life now. I get to decide what I do with it."

Mr. Braddock was speechless. Sam got a slight smile from his mom and she gestured him to arrange his tie again. He looked at his father one more time. "I can make a difference in the SRU. So deal with it." He nodded at his mother and turned around again.

His father kept yelling and his mother started asking him to stay but all he wanted to do was leave. He knew he could make a difference wherever he was as long as he felt it was the right thing to do. And the SRU was where his heart was. With its people… with Jules… with Spike.

**XxX**


	10. Promise Me

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 10/30 - Promise Me  
**Characters/Pairings:** Spike/Sam.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers: **None.  
**Summary:** Spike calls Sam in the middle of the night.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #2 Trust.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Promise Me**

For the tenth time tonight, Sam punched the pillow and tried to forget about the fight he'd had with his dad only a few hours ago. So far it'd been impossible; he could still hear him inside his head, disapproving basically all his choices.

His cell phone rang, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone. He thought about turning it off, but when he saw who was calling, he changed his mind. "Spike?"

"Hey… How are you?"

Rubbing his eyes, Sam sat down on the bed. "I'm good… I think."

"Okay... Spit it out."

"Spit what?"

"Sam."

Sam knew how this was supposed to work. Spike had showed him his family life; not it was Sam's opportunity to show him that he trusted him, too. "Fine… We started a fight about the SRU and Special Ops, as usual… I wanted to go back to my place but my mom stopped me."

"Good."

That wasn't the response Sam was expecting. "What do you mean, _good_?"

"I'm just saying… It's a good thing that you stayed. Who knows, things could be different tomorrow."

"Ha… I seriously doubt that." It was very unlikely that things would change between Sam and his father, but secretly he wished Spike was right. "Hey, could we have lunch together today?"

"Sure."

Sam felt better already, just by knowing they'd be hanging out. He glanced at the clock – 3 a.m. There were less than 10 hours left for him to meet Spike. "Great. All this insanity… I appreciate to have someone to talk to."

"No problem."

"No, I mean it. When you showed me that whole other world yesterday, I really thought…" Sam stopped and decided to go to the heart of the matter. "Thank you for that."

He could swear Spike was smiling when he said, "You're welcome… Promise me you'll try to laugh when you get up tomorrow. I couldn't stand to see that look on your face."

"What look?"

"The 'there's no hope' look you had at my door last night."

It was a bit uncomfortable to hear that, but Sam had to admit that he wasn't in his best shape the night before. "Okay… I'll try."

There was a moment of silence, like Spike didn't believe him much. But he finally muttered, "Take care, man…"

"Take care, Spike. See you tomorrow."

Sam ended the call and let himself fall onto the mattress. The pillow was fine now. Everything was fine. He'd talked to Spike, they'd have lunch together. Sam wished he wouldn't have the urge to vent so he wouldn't bother him; on the other hand, if he needed to, he was sure Spike would listen.

He left his cell phone on the nightstand and froze.

There was a shadow near the door - a shadow that moved and suddenly disappeared. Someone had been watching, listening.

Sam got the feeling he was going to regret having taken the call and that no smile would be waiting for him the next day.

**XxX**


	11. You don't know me or maybe I don't

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 11/30 - You don't know me... or maybe I don't  
**Characters/Pairings: **Spike/Sam, OCs.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Sam finds out who heard his phone conversation with Spike.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #15 Secret.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**You don't know me... or maybe I don't**

It was seven thirty when Sam took a peak as his parent's bedroom and saw her mother alone in bed. She was sleepy when he kissed her forehead, but she managed to whisper, "Just go, okay? Your dad's not in a good mood today, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah…" It was normal for Mr. Braddock to get out of bed very early and go running to keep the line. "It'll be better this way. By the time he gets home, I won't be around anymore."

"You know he loves you, don't you?"

Sam didn't answer. He just gave his mother a warm hug, grateful to have her in his life. She really cared about him; she was the one he could trust.

Soon he was going towards the door, but as soon as he opened it, his father's figure stopped him from going out.

"Who were you talking to last night, Sam?" Mr. Braddock snapped.

_Oh, God. You were the creepy, mysterious shadow that was hovering around last night…_ It was better to remain silent. His father had the bad habit of jumping to conclusions very fast, and all of them turned always into a nightmare for Sam.

"Spike. Who is he?"

"Someone I know. That's all you have to know."

"A guy that introduced you to his family."

"Yeah." _Damn you and your stupid assumptions. Always the same issue when I talk to a man. I'm so sick of it!_ Even if he was screaming inside his head, Sam managed to stay calm.

Mr. Braddock shook his head, disappointed. "This could have been your chance to do something meaningful for once by telling us you are…"

"Gay? That's what you think I am."

"It would have explained a lot."

"Wha…?" Sam couldn't even finish. "Okay, Dad… whatever. I gotta go now."

"You're incapable of having a steady relationship, you don't want to go back to Special Ops…"

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"The fact that you're having lunch with that man today!"

"He's my friend!" Sam yelled, getting closer to his father. "Look, you don't know me! You don't even respect my choices!"

"You're my son!" Mr. Braddock yelled back, and with eyes full of anger, he tried to hit Sam. Fortunately, his fist crashed against the wall. "Damn it!"

Sam was just too shocked to keep up the fight. Returning to the door, he ran one hand over his forehead. He couldn't believe that a simple phone call had brought up such an unfair, violent situation. "I'm not gay, Dad. And if I was, I wouldn't have told you anyway."

He slammed the door when he stormed out.

The day was beautiful out there. Maybe too much. When he passed by a tree, the idea of his dad trying to hit him turned too overwhelming and he ended up punching a tree.

He hated it. He hated taking his anger out on things.

He hated knowing that his father was right.

**XxX**


	12. Contagious

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 12/30 - Contagious  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike.  
**Word Count: **500.  
**Rating:** T for safety.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Sam waits for Spike outside the locker room.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, weekend prompt: fear.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Contagious**

It'd been a bad idea to go to Spike's house and see the great person he was.

It'd been a lousy choice to go home and see his father, having to hear him say Sam was gay.

It'd been a strange experience to think that the great Mr. Braddock might be right for once.

It'd been a nonsense strategy to avoid Spike the entire day.

It'd been a stupid mistake to just answer, "Sure!" when Spike had said, "Lunch time! Let's go!"

And it'd certainly been a horrible decision to stay outside the locker room and wait for Spike to take a shower. Because… damn, it was torture. Sam cursed his own fingers as they trembled. He wanted to be able to drink his bottle of water without spilling it on him and make a fool of himself. What would Spike think of him?

Although… Sam had to shake the idea out of his head. They'd be seated at the table, at the diner. And they'd probably be alone.

Seated at the table, he thought he was being stupid. He couldn't be afraid of his own reactions when Spike was around. He could stay calm no matter who he shared the table with.

His breath got caught in his throat when he heard footsteps getting closer and closer. When Sam turned to the door, Spike was coming in with a towel around his neck, wearing jogging pants and a tank-top.

Suddenly, Sam found himself spilling his bottle of water on his pants and cursing himself for it.

"Hey," Spike said, handing him his towel. "Kind of clumsy today, huh?"

"Yeah… Kind of a lot!" Sam responded, laughing awkwardly. He rubbed the towel against his thigh and felt a burning sensation inside of him. He didn't even understand why he was starting to sweat.

Finally, he covered his face with his hands. He could do this. He had the cool pants, he was part of the team. Dealing with Spike was nothing.

A sound startled him. When he looked ahead, he found that Spike was offering him a new bottle of water. "Thanks," Sam muttered as he grabbed it and took a sip.

In front of him, Spike was drinking his own bottle. "Oh, wait, I was fixing Babycakes and I forgot to give her a…" he said, and he was so distracted and energized by what he was thinking about that the bottle slipped from his hands and fell onto his pants. "Damn!"

Sam handed him the towel and watched him dried his thighs very carefully. Sam's eyes were fixed on Spike's hands as his brain slowly started to lose awareness of where he was and what he was doing.

"Hey, are you all right?" Spike asked all of a sudden.

Sam shivered for a moment and lifted his gaze. When he found Spike's worried face, he repeated to himself that this didn't mean anything. "Um… sure."

Smiling, Spike kept drying himself. "Great. 'Cause it looks like clumsiness is contagious."

**XxX**


	13. Lady Advice

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 13/30 - Lady Advice  
**Characters/Pairings:** Spike/Sam, Jules, Lewis.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Jules and Lewis have a few things to say about Spike and Sam's new friendship.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, weekend prompt: friendship.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Lady Advice**

If Spike had to be honest, he'd admit that he didn't really know what he was expecting from his lunch with Sam. Sure, he'd brought him to his brother's home, he'd invited him to be part of the party… he'd even called him in the middle of the night to see if he was okay. But still…

He chewed his burger, watching him; since they'd arrived to the diner, Sam hadn't said much. Maybe he was uncomfortable, and if that was the case, he had a good reason. In less than 24 hours, everything had changed. Now, seeing each other at work was a bit weird, and even Spike was having trouble getting used to their new friendship.

Finally, Sam left his soda on the table and seemed to want to talk. "Hey…"

"Hi, guys!" someone interrupted him. Jules approached them and sit beside him at the table. "What do we have here?"

"Every day's crappy, full of carbs meal," Lou responded as he followed her, joining Spike on the other side of the table.

"Like you eat anything different," Spike teased him.

When the waitress appeared, Jules asked him for a double cheese burger with fries and a soda and then she turned to Sam. "So, what happened with you and…?"

Sam looked around the table and Spike knew that he didn't know if he wanted to talk about his father or not. But he ended up saying, "I had to see my dad, but Spike got me in a good mood before I went."

She seemed surprised, in a good way. "What do you mean? Did you guys hang out?"

"Kind of. I invited him to come to my niece's birthday party," Spike explained.

"Vicky?" Lou said.

Smiling, Sam nodded. "I had a great time."

Jules put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it lovingly. "I think it's great. Sam needs more friends. And he certainly could use some advice from Spike when it comes to the ladies."

The comment seemed to amuse Sam. "The_ ladies_?" he repeated, smirking.

She waved her hand as she responded, "Yeah! You can't go pick them up in a bicycle! You look like a thirteen-year-old!"

"I don't know, I don't know… Believe it or not, this man's a Casanova. He's got his own developed technique," Spike assured her.

"Oh, really? Who was the lucky girl?"

"Woman."

"Mmm… So he likes them mature now!"

A bit uncomfortable, Spike took a bite of his huge burger and confessed. "More like my mother."

Lou almost chocked, and Jules started to laugh hysterically. She was about to make another comment when everyone's cell phones rang. They were needed ASAP.

There was no time for lunch. Work and human lives always came first.

They got up, ready for some action, but Jules had one last thing to say. "Sam, if you're not taking his advice, then take mine! You and Spike should definitely hang out more often!" she joked as she went get the big guns.

**XxX**


	14. Gimme Five

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 14/30 - Gimme Five  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, the team.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Sam couldn't have saved the day without Spike.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #16 Accomplice.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Gimme Five**

Adrenaline was the solution for everything.

Spike didn't feel awkward about their friendship anymore. After the sudden call at the diner, the team had received the information about the new situation. They'd had to split in two groups to deal with two subjects located in two different rooms of the same building. Even if they stayed connected, Spike, Lou and Sam were pretty much alone when it came to controlling what happened to a teenager who had a gun and was threatening them to blow his brains out.

Spike had been marveled by how much Sam had learned since his apparent failure as a negotiator. While Spike had taken care of the explosives, he'd managed to get into the subject's mind. After the teenager had claimed that he didn't know who he was and that he'd been a shadow of his inner self for years now, Sam had stopped relaying on the book and made up his own strategy. The kid had said that he couldn't predict what the consequences of doing what he wanted were; he repeated over and over again that he kept sabotaging himself and he couldn't take it anymore.

Sam had responded that sometimes he had ideas that he'd like to try out and that he didn't know how he might react. He had also stated that the only way to find out was being brave and trying to go exactly for what could make him happy.

By exposing some of his own feelings, he'd found a connection and make the subject drop the gun.

On the way back to the station, the atmosphere was exciting and spontaneous. Everyone congratulated Sam, but strangely, Sam said that he couldn't have done it without Spike. As usual, Spike thanked Babycakes for her great work; she was, after all, the eighth member of the team.

Now that they'd arrived at the HQ, the compliments didn't stop. To Spike, it was a fun way to end the day after all the stress and the tense moments they'd had to go through. As he got out of the SUV, he was glad Sam was talking to him without stop, going over their techniques and their achievements over and over again.

"Babycakes was amazing out there. I gotta admit it… she's your perfect partner, after all," Sam said, nodding.

Spike was proud of that and also happy that Sam had referred to Babycakes as "she." Someone seemed to get his love for the beautiful machine that regularly refused to make him breakfast.

"You okay?" Greg asked, taking his cap off as a sign of respect.

"Yeah, boss! We're _Samtastic_!" Spike assured him, offering his hand for Sam to give him five.

"Okay… you _so_ have to stop saying that," Wordy said, passing by.

"What? We all say it!"

"Not so many times… in only half an hour!"

Sam shook his head as he checked his rifle. "They don't get it, Spike…"

Spike smirked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "They never will."

**XxX**


	15. The Best Mistake

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 15/30 - The Best Mistake  
**Characters/Pairings:** Spike/Sam, OFC.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Spike's mother gives him a piece of advice.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #14 Mistake.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**The Best Mistake**

"Mmm, that smells good," Spike commented as he entered the kitchen. After a long, stressful day, enjoying a home-made meal was the perfect fix. "Great, pasta!"

As Mrs. Scarlatti stirred the spaghetti in the pot, she received a kiss from her son. "Welcome home, Mickey! How was your day?"

Spike left his jacket on a chair and went to get himself a beer. "It was amazing. We had two help two people…" He remembered that one of them was suicidal and decided to spare his mom the worry. "Everything turned out well. Sam and I, we made a great team."

Frowning, his mother asked, "Wasn't Babycakes your one and only partner?"

Nothing ever escaped her radar. He'd nailed it. Someone had taken Babycakes' place for a moment, and in Spike's head, that was scary. Trying to thinking about something else, he sipped his beer. "You know, for a moment I thought I'd made a mistake by inviting Sam to Vicky's birthday…"

"Why? He looked so excited!"

"Well… he was acting awkward afterwards… He was weird, and as a result, I got weird, too."

"Hon, you've always been different. In the cutest, best way."

Not sure if he should feel flattered by that, Spike responded, "Thanks… On the other hand, I think it was a good mistake to make. I like new friends. I didn't really now him before, but he's cool."

Mrs. Scarlatti smirked. "And handsome."

"Mom!"

"What?"

"Could you please not refer to him with those words? He's my coworker and you're my mother! I don't need images of you two flirting!"

"Who said we were flirting? Just so you know, he was a complete gentleman. You know your mom only belongs to your father, who's watching us right now. I don't think he'd like a conversation in which you accuse me of hitting on a friend of yours."

Spike sat at the table and had to admit she was right. "Sorry."

She left the pot and went to caress his shoulder. "You know, Sam worries me. I bet he doesn't eat well."

"You think so? I didn't notice anything."

"Because you don't have the third eye I have," she explained.

"Of course," Spike agreed, knowing that it was one of her mom's crazy ideas and that he shouldn't tell her otherwise.

"You had a long day and you get along so well now. Why don't you take him out to dinner?" she suggested, going back to the pot. "As far as you're telling me, he doesn't have many friends, besides that girl Jules. I'm sure he could use some company. Surprise him!"

Even if Spike wasn't sure he should appear at Sam's door in the middle of the night, he suddenly remembered that the image of Sam knocking and saying hello the night before. Maybe visiting him would be fun.

Finally, he left his beer on the table, grabbed his jacket, kissed his mother and saw her waving him goodbye as he went out again. "Wish me luck!"

**XxX**


	16. Scarlatti Style

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 16/30 - Scarlatti Style  
**Characters/Pairings: **Sam/Spike.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Spike is worried about Sam and what he eats.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #18 Cover.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Scarlatti Style**

One beer meant an entire celebration for Sam. He didn't need more. He'd found himself comfortable around Spike again. No weird ideas. No strange situations. No confusion. Suddenly, the fear was fading and a new, completely harmless feeling of friendly affection had started to settle down.

Thinking of how good he'd done that day, he threw the empty bottle of beer to the trash. Tired and wanting to go to bed, he cursed when someone rang the bell of his apartment.

"Annoying neighbors…" Sam yawned rubbed the back of his head as he opened the door, but as soon as he saw Spike, his eyes went wide open. "Hey…"

"Hey."

"What are you…"

"According to my mom, I'm saving you from starving," Spike explained, coming in and taking a look at the medium-size apartment. He left his jacket on a little couch and added, "She says you don't eat well."

Sam was a bit worried about the messy state of the place, but as soon as he heard that comment, all he could do was answer, "What? I'm all right!"

"Where's the kitchen?"

"Believe it or not, I can survive by myself!" Sam assured him as he followed him around the apartment. "I was military, I certainly know how to make myself a proper meal, even out of nothing!"

Apparently, Spike had decided to ignore it, and he'd found the kitchen. "Aha!"

"Spike…"

Opening the cupboards, Spike froze. "_No!_" he yelled, taking out a cereal box and showing it off. "September 2006? Are you _kidding_ me?"

Sam gulped and placed his hands on his hips, trying to find a good excuse even if he didn't know why he should give any. "I haven't opened that drawer in like…"

"Three _years_?"

"Kind of."

"Oh. My. God. Please, whatever you say… it just makes it worse."

Shaking his head, Spike desperately continued opening the cupboards. More packages came up, and all of them had an expiration date from a thousand years ago. Finally, Spike turned around and told his verdict. Resting his hands on the counter, he stated, "Man, I so gotta cover your ass when it comes to the cooking area. You have no real food here. So it's true what Jules said about you only owning a bike?"

"Hey, it's a good bike!"

Spike sighed. "Have you ever heard of a thing called 'pasta'?"

"Of course I have."

"Then you're going to have to forget about that, because I'm going to provide you a whole new experience. I'm going to take it to the next level, my friend."

"There's a… next level?" Sam asked, confused.

"Yeah. Once you taste the fabulous _pasta a la Scarlatti_, your life will never be the same."

"Thanks, but you don't have to…"

"Don't say a word. This is officially a rescue mission."

Sam stared back at him and decided to surrender. "Okay… It's all yours, Sir," he gave up, beckoning his little kitchen and resting his back on the wall to watch and learn.

**XxX**


	17. Definition of Romance

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 17/30 - Definition of Romance  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, mention of Sam/Jules.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** T.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Spike really wants to know if Sam and Jules are (still) together.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #12 Retaliate.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Definition of Romance**

Only one taste and suddenly Sam's entire experience of enjoying pasta had completely transformed. "This is… this is…"

"Salt!" Spike announced, running to the kitchen and coming back to the table with the salt so he could add it to both plates. "Voilá!"

"What, your mom taught you French, too?"

"Very funny," Spike responded, smiling. "So you like it?"

"Are you kidding me?" Sam took another bite. "This is excellent!" he admitted, absolutely surprised by the great cooking skills his new friends had. In the bottom of his heart, he also knew that he was extremely grateful to have someone over who'd cook for him a decent meal. He didn't even remember when he'd eaten something as good as _pasta a la Scar_latti. Hell, he'd probably never had anything as awesome as that.

Spike beckoned the plates. "Ladies and gentlemen, here's another satisfied client."

There was something about the sauce, about the garlic and the tomato, something that made it irresistible. "Your mom sells this stuff? Because if she did, I'd become an investor, no questions asked."

"She kind of cooks for a couple of old ladies from around the corner. It's nothing big, but they have no one else to turn to," the other man responded, and he narrowed his eyes. "And wow, Braddock, you're really into my mom, aren't you?"

The do-not-touch-my-mom glare was very clear to Sam. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

As if it'd been a joke – even if it hadn't felt like it – Spike focused on the delicious spaghetti again. "Yeah, I know," he said, but his silence seemed to reveal another kind of feeling… the need of playful vengeance. "Besides, if you would have started that kind of conversation, I would have been forced to bring up the Jules issue," he added as he played with the food.

"The Jules issue?" Sam repeated, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"C'mon, you don't think no one knows about you two."

Actually, Sam was hoping that was true. "Well… whatever it was – and I'm not saying it was anything romantic – it's over. She's a great woman, but it just didn't work."

"You're taking a break."

"I didn't say it was a romantic thing, remember?" Sam clarified.

Spike simply cocked his head, apparently satisfied with the answer. "So it's just sex."

"No, it's not sex!" Sam snapped. It'd be better to stop the conversation before he said exactly what he didn't want Spike to know "Can we drop the subject, please?"

"Okay… So romance isn't sex."

"Not always. It can be holding someone's hand, it could even be two people just having some pasta and talking, like we're doing right now… but of course, I'm talking about people who are attracted to each other."

"Of course…" Spike nodded, taking a deep breath. "So you and Jules aren't together anymore. Not that you were ever together, I mean."

"No, we're just friends."

"Damn."

"What?"

Spike's sad eyes landed on Sam's. "I owe Lou ten bucks."

**XxX**


	18. Dirty Laundry

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 18/30 - Dirty Laundry  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Sam shares his dirty laundry with Spike.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #3 Family.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Dirty Laundry**

It finally seemed to be life inside Sam's apartment. Since Spike had arrived, everything was lighter, brighter. Even the kitchen looked a lot better when he was there, helping Sam out with the dishes.

"Funny thing, I don't even remember when I used these for the last time," Sam commented as he finished arranging the plates in the cupboard.

Spike frowned, leaning on the kitchen counter. "Really? Do I need to come here every night to help cook? Although, I could call first."

The idea wasn't bad. Sometimes, when ethics came up as an important issue the team had to deal with, Sam spent an hour or two seated on his couch, just thinking. Talking to someone about it seemed like a very good option. Sitting on the counter, he warmed up his palms between his thighs. "When I was at home and you called me… my dad heard the conversation. He didn't take it very well."

"Why? You were just talking to a friend."

"He assumed something completely different, not to mention crazy," Sam explained, trying not to make a big deal out of it. "He thought we were together."

"Like…?" Spike waved his hand to make a point.

"Yes." Much to Sam's surprise, the other man didn't look shocked; he seemed simply confused.

"That's weird."

"I know, but he likes to assume lots of things about me." Feeling a bit down, Sam decided he'd rather move on. "Anyway, it sucked. He confronted me the next morning and we fought. It was good to see you afterwards at lunch."

"Even if Jules and Lou came along?"

"Well, it wasn't really a private date, was it?"

It was strange to see Spike sitting on the counter as well, less than a meter away. "Nope."

"And so, that's my latest dirty laundry, I guess… What's yours?"

There was a long moment of silence until Spike muttered, "My dad's dead."

Sam didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry…"

"When he was around, we were so happy, you know? He used to tell us family stories at night and they were always funny. Something about Aunt Celia forgetting everyone's names and making bad jokes..."

"It sounds like he was an amazing guy."

"He was… My mom had found her equal and there wasn't a day she didn't thank God for being married to him." Spike had a sweet smile on his face as he spoke. "Hey, I know she told you about my dad and everything. I gotta admit I was a bit uncomfortable about it when I found out, but now… I think it was great for me to talk about it with someone who's not family. It feels good to let go, even if I'm always going to keep his memory close to my heart."

All Sam could do was nod in understanding.

Spike turned to him. "Thanks, man."

"You're welcome," Sam responded as he folded his arms and held back from reaching out for him and ruining the whole night.

**XxX**


	19. A Mutual Thing

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 19/30 - A Mutual Thing  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K+.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Sam wants to thank Spike for his help.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #6 Shelter.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**A Mutual Thing**

Conversation was the perfect way to end the visit. On the couch, Sam sipped his beer and watched Spike talk and laugh for a while, as he understood what a great, warm person he was. As midnight arrived, he couldn't stop feeling that the idea of spending time together was natural. Jules' encouraging advice made him smile for a moment, but Sam knew that soon he'd find himself alone at his apartment again, just like every other night.

"You've always been out of reach! If you weren't with Jules, you were with the Sarge, learning… You're not that much into pranks, so I couldn't ask you to come help Lou and I out."

"Okay, I'll give you that."

"When you were transferred, I thought you wanted to be in the team because of the cool pants."

"Oh. Good to know you considered me a superficial person."

"It was a joke, Sam," Spike explained, laughing. "I know the job means a lot to you. And now I also know how much you care about people, which is a very cool thing to discover after making so many wrong assumptions."

Sam snorted. "You're not so bad either, Spike."

"What I really didn't understand was why you didn't want to go back to Special Ops…" Spike whispered, leaving his beer on the coffee table and reaching for his jacket and his bag. "I guess now I know about your reasons."

"I guess you do," Sam agreed, getting up. "You know a lot."

Playfully, Spike winked at him as he took out his car keys from his pocket and played with them. "More than Jules?" The answer was a simple glare. Spike seemed to give up and raised his hands. "Fine! I have to stop betting anyway. Lou's kicking my ass at it."

"You should learn from that," Sam stated, walking him to the door. He put a hand on Spike's shoulder and gave him a friendly hug. "You have no idea how much you've done for me."

Luckily, Spike's reaction was exactly the one Sam was expecting. He smiled back, like he was waiting for another harmless embrace that would strength the bond between two new friends. After all, they were a lot closer now.

Sam wondered for a second if there was a hidden intention under Spike's confessions and his strange words. He didn't know what it was exactly… Maybe it was pure fascination because of the way their relationship had changed in only a couple of days.

He'd been trying to do the right thing during the whole night and he'd succeeded. However, now that Spike was so close to him, now that Sam could smell his scent and appreciate how good his warmth felt, the need of nearness seemed to be exactly what he should go for.

"It was a mutual thing…"

"Nah. I'm the one who should say 'thank you,'" Sam muttered, and unexpectedly he covered Spike's lips with his, ready to make the worst mistake of his life.

**XxX**


	20. Wrong Time and Place

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 20/30 - Wrong Time and Place  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, mention of Sam/Jules.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K+.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers: **None.  
**Summary:** Sam's plan doesn't turn out the way he wanted.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #14 Mistake.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Wrong Time and Place**

Their lips touched and Sam felt like burning. Intuition had worked perfectly; this was what he wanted, this was what he should do…

For a moment, Spike stood very still, and the idea of deepening the kiss was too irresistible to ignore it. Reaching for the back of the other man's head and pulling him closer, Sam enjoyed the feeling of Spike's breath and his sudden, warm nearness. Strangely, he felt Spike struggle and let him retreat. He obviously didn't want to continue with this.

Sam took a deep breath. "Damn," he whispered, realizing the big mistake he'd made. Spike was opening the door and going out in an agitated escape. "Spike, wai…"

"Don't," Spike cut him off, not once looking back and walking fast towards the stairs. He didn't even glance at the elevators that were only a few steps away.

It was over.

All of a sudden Sam got the urge to punch the door when Spike finally disappeared, but it only reminded him of the moment he'd hit the tree outside his parents' house. His father had been right – there was much more than innocent friendship between Sam and Spike, even if it was unrequited attraction. He liked Spike very much and now he'd lost his friendship for a stupid, rushed impulse.

Feeling his heart accelerate, Sam closed the door and rested his back on it. He observed his empty apartment, the two lonely beers on the coffee table and he could even smell the smell of pasta still around somehow. Spike had done so much for him. He'd showed him a different way to see life. A new way to make friends. A new way to connect. And what had Sam done? He'd gone and pushed him to do something he didn't want to reciprocate.

Hating himself, Sam his body fall onto the couch. He thought about getting drunk to forget, but his brain was overloaded and his body didn't want to respond. He spent the rest of the night there like a lifeless being. He hadn't felt like that since he and Jules had broken up. But even then, she'd been the one to make the decision for the two of them.

Now it was his fault and there was no way to turn back time. He wouldn't be able to fix it. In fact, how could he look at Spike the next day? With what face could he tell him, "I'm sorry"? Especially considering that deep down inside, Sam really wasn't.

He caressed his mouth slowly, remembering his horrible decision and noticing that he wouldn't mind kissing Spike again if he could. Slowly, he drowned in his old, little, harmless fantasies and fell asleep.

The next morning welcomed him with a clear blue sky and an energizing sun. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he was a complete disaster – stubble, terrible hair and lousy clothes - but he didn't care. The new day had brought up a new idea to carry out.

**XxX**


	21. Men, Women, Nonsense

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 21/30 - Men, Women, Nonsense  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K+.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Spike spends the night thinking about the kiss.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #10 Fantasy.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Men, Women, Nonsense**

The fresh air didn't manage to calm Spike down on the way home. He was upset and agitated by the time he arrived, and when he coldly greeted his mother, he could tell she was worried. The only thing he could do was avoiding his questions and locking himself in his room for the rest of the night.

Once he was alone, door closed and keeping him apart from the world, he threw his bag onto a corner, annoyed and tired. He quickly discarded his clothes, put an old t-shirt and some shorts on and lay on his bed.

Staring at the ceiling, he wondered what the hell had happened that night. Women, women, _women_. Spike had always preferred them; he'd lived his life thinking of a beautiful, smart girlfriend that would eventually replace Babycakes as the perfect companion. But "Wasn't Babycakes your one and only partner?" his mother had said, and with that she'd brought lots of possibilities to her son's confused mind.

Adding Sam to the idea of a potentially intense love life was weird. Hell, just thinking that Spike could attract another guy was something crazy and out of his world. Was Sam having fantasies about him? If so, Spike didn't want to even think about their content. Every time a scene came to his head, he forced himself to wake up from it and say out loud, "No, no, this is ridiculous, it makes no sense at all."

But every time he heard his own voice, his heart beats got faster and faster and he felt he was starting to sweat. He cursed Sam for that as he tried to manage the many emotions and sensations that were at war inside of him. Still, he didn't miss the strange, pleasurable shiver that ran down his spine.

It was a long night in the darkness, only illuminated by a distant lamp in the room, trying to figure out a solution for a friendship that had started and apparently ended in only two days. Seventy-two hours ago, Spike had assumed Sam was another pal in the team and nothing more; twenty-four hours later, he was inviting him to his brother's house; one more day and they were hanging out at Sam's place…

Sam had kissed him. Damn.

Spike ran his palms over his face, trying to erase the feeling of Sam's lips against his. He punched the pillow a couple of times and tried to tell himself things would be different tomorrow.

Time passed by… He only got to sleep for an hour and when he woke up the next day, between sweaty and messy sheets, he still didn't know how he felt about the kiss or how he should have reacted when it'd happened. The only thing he knew was that he certainly needed more time to think and that it'd be hard to do it with Sam around. Especially if he hadn't given up his fantasies yet.

Or if Spike had started to have some himself.

**XxX**


	22. Messing with the Wrong Girl

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 22/30 - Messing with the Wrong Girl  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, Lewis, Jules.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating: **K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary: **Spike's not talking to Sam, but Sam has an idea.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #7 Babycakes.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Messing with the Wrong Girl**

All Sam needed to do was pretend nothing had happened and things would go back to normal. Hopefully, he would be able to reestablish the connection with Spike.

That morning, the atmosphere at the station was exactly the one he expected. While everyone treated Sam just like every day, Spike ignored him. He spent at least five hours silently working on Babycakes; apparently, she was having trouble with her circuits, just like two days ago. During lunch, the whole crew went to the usual diner only a few blocks away, but Spike was strangely quiet and he avoided making eye contact with Sam.

Then in the afternoon there was a hostage situation in a family home near the station, but thanks to Wordy's accurate shot, the team saved the day again. Soon it was time to go back to the HQ, and Sam realized how Spike would rather ride with Ed than him, so he got into another SUV with Jules.

During the whole ride, Sam didn't say anything to her, who was beside him in the passenger's seat. He wasn't even listening when she tried to cheer him up. He apologized later at the men's locker room door, when she followed him asking what was going on. Sam decided to tell her he was just tired, but Jules seemed to know somehow what was on his mind.

At five o'clock, Sam couldn't bear the indifference anymore, so he decided that he needed to test his plan and see if it was actually working. But when he went looking for Spike, he didn't find him with Babycakes. She was alone in the usual room, surrounded by tools, grease bottles, cloths and a few papers with short phrases and exclamation marks.

Sam knelt on the floor and grabbed the papers, noticing they contained details about what was wrong with Babycakes. Evidently, Spike was frustrated and he'd decided to take a break. Maybe he could use some help. Five minutes later, Sam was already behind Babycakes, adding some grease to some of her parts. He hoped he could do a good job and impress Spike.

"Spike…" Lou said, coming towards Babycakes, but he was shocked to see Sam instead of his friend. "What the hell are you doing there?"

"Hey, I'm giving Spike a hand."

"With Babycakes?"

"Yeah."

"Did you tell him first?" Lou wanted to know, but Sam's silence gave him the answer. He placed his hands on his hips and laughed. "Man, you're so dead."

There were footsteps getting closer to them. Sam could see Spike walking towards Babycakes with a bottle of water in his hands. He was coming back to keep working on his machine.

"Just retreat peacefully. And always remember this - you've messed with the wrong girl," Lou said before Spike suddenly arrived. Sam swallowed, revising the plan and thinking that maybe he'd crewed up again. From the way Spike was staring down at Sam and Babycakes, Lou had abandoned the battlefield right before war started.

**XxX**


	23. Sandwiched

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 23/30 - Sandwiched  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, mention of Lewis.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K+.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** The Lewis issue comes up during a fight.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #12 Retaliate.  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Sandwiched**

Trying to stay in control and not ruin everything again, Sam got up as he finished cleaning his greasy hands in a dry cloth. "Hey, I was…"

"Touching her," Spike stated, his eyes very cold.

"Well, yeah. How was I supposed to fix her if I didn't?"

Within seconds, Spike had taken the cloth from Sam's hands. Now he was keeping it in his pocket, as if he was going to use it soon. "You weren't supposed to do anything. I take care of her and I can do it just fine, thanks you very much." He opened his tool box, ready to work on Babycakes.

Sam wasn't willing to drop the conversation. "Spike, about last night…"

"Nothing happened."

"Listen, if you prefer to deny everything, then I can forget about it, too. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable," Sam admitted, but he didn't know if he'd convinced the other man. "Now, could we have dinner or something someday anyw…?"

Spike cut him off. "I'm gonna have dinner with Lou."

What a nice retaliation. "Lou."

"Yes, _Lou_. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No."

"Great." Kneeling beside Babycakes, Spike started to check her out, as if he believed Sam had broken her on purpose. Then he whispered to himself, "He doesn't act like crazy when he's with me."

"Oh, right, and that's why you chose him to spend the night," Sam concluded, annoyed by Spike's attitude. He wondered if Lou would get _pasta a la Scarlatti_, too, and that was the trigger. "You'll cook for him to make it up for the fact that you've turned him into the peanut butter in the sandwich? You know, just to keep us apart?"

"What? Lou's so _not_ sandwiched!"

The only thing Sam could do was laugh at the irony of the discussion. "It was a figure of speech. Like saying he's the film that keeps two pieces of meat from touching each other in the fridge."

Frowning, Spike got up from beside Babycakes and asked, "What the hell are you talking about? _Meat_ against _meat_?" Then his eyes went wide open. An idea seemed to have hit him, and it only took Sam a few seconds to figure out what it was.

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" he instantly explained, embarrassed and frustrated that he was picking all the worst words. If he continued to be like this, he'd never be able to make a point. "Okay… maybe we should drop the food metaphors."

"Yeah, we should," Spike agreed, almost challenging him. "Don't touch Babycakes ever again, understood? She's my girl and my only partner, and Lou's my best friend." With steady steps, he walked away. "And this is the end of this conversation."

Sam had a thousand more things to say, but something told him this battle was lost. His plan hadn't worked and now Spike was even angrier than before. "Damn it," he cursed as he watched him go towards Lou, Jules, Ed and the Sarge.

**XxX**


	24. Like an Old Married Couple

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 24/30 - Like an Old Married Couple  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, the team.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating: **K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** The team has a plan to force Sam and Spike to be friends again.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #19 Boss.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Like an Old Married Couple**

"Babycakes, huh?" Jules muttered as she rested her back on the wall and watched Spike take the cloth Sam had in his hands. "Is he suicidal?"

Lou took a deep breath and explained, "I thought so, but he's being stubborn."

"Classic Sam."

Beside Jules, Ed folded his arms and analyzed the situation. "Yeah, look at them. Almost like old love birds, happily married for ten years," he joked. "Things are all right, and suddenly they're fighting…"

Everyone's eyes were on him, asking for details. They were family. No matter what happened, they usually told each other everything. Even the bad stuff.

"It was a clothing fight. I wanted to wear a blue shirt for a dinner we had with friends a couple of days ago. Sophie liked the purple one better," Ed confessed, resting his back on the wall, just like Jules. "Hey, I've got a sense of style that I'd like to keep, that's all."

"Ah," the Sarge muttered, and Lou could swear he wanted to laugh. "Okay, show's over, time to do the right thing." He signaled the others to make a circle. "As your boss, I say that situation can't continue," he stated as he beckoned the image of Spike and Sam yelling at each other. "I mean it. They were good friends until yesterday, we all had to see them high-fiving and hear the word 'Samtastic' a million times. I almost had nightmares about it last night, but beyond that, there's no reason for them to fight like this. We need them to get along so that the team becomes stronger."

Decided to cooperate, Lou asked, "So, does this operation have a name?"

"'Love birds,' maybe?" Ed suggested.

The Sarge smiled. "Okay. I'm gonna need at least three people to participate. Jules?"

"Whatever you need, boss. I'm in."

Ed nodded, like this was a real mission. "Me, too."

"And apparently I'm sandwiched," Lou muttered. He'd heard his name coming out of both Spike and Sam during their fight and was trying to figure out why they were talking about him.

"What?" Jules asked with irony.

The fight between Spike and Sam was over. Agitated, Spike went towards Lou. "C'mon, let's go. You and I have dinner, remember?" he said, passing by the team.

"What dinner?" Dumbfounded, Lou started to follow him. He had no idea when he'd agreed to meet Spike. "Maybe I had plans tonight, you know." He cared about his friend but this kind of maneuver from Spike was really strange. He frowned and took a breath at the sight of the team, worried about Spike and Sam's friendship. "Fine," he muttered before going after Spike again. After all, his friend needed him and he'd do anything to help him.

"Good luck, Lou!" Ed yelled at him. "He's a subject now! Connect so we can get our hands on the good stuff! You know the embarrassing details stay in the family anyway!" he added, laughing as Jules snorted and the Sarge shook his head.

**XxX**


	25. Talking Silence

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 25/30 - Talking Silence  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, Lewis.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Spike starts to understand his own feelings.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, weekend prompt: fear.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Talking Silence**

Being around Lou was safe; he wouldn't jump people before he went out the diner. Spike grabbed a slice of pizza, not caring that it was a bit cold. "I still can't believe he came and asked me to talk about it like that… I don't like it when relationships are confusing and I certainly don't like his attitude. We're friends," he explained, chewing furiously. "We shouldn't have to deal with this. These things leave scars on people no matter what."

"It looks like you're… kind of obsessed over this thing with Sam."

"You think I'm an obsessive person, Lou?" Right after saying those words, Spike had to recognize that he was overreacting. "Okay… Maybe a little. But Babycakes is my girl, what can I do?"

Looking serious, the other man leaned on the table. "First off, you can give Sam a break."

"From what?"

"From whatever you're doing."

"I don't understand. What am I doing?"

"You're avoiding him, and Babycakes has nothing to do with it. Did you two fight?" Lou was very serious and honest when he stated that, and that started to make Spike feel uncomfortable… even a bit guilty.

"Not exactly…" he muttered, but when Lou's eyes landed on him, he admitted, "Fine, we did fight. But I don't know what really happened between us. One moment it was all new and weird, but it was good, you know? We were at his apartment, I'd made him some good pasta, and a second later, he was taking advantage of me!"

"Advantage like what?" Lou asked, but Spike ignored him for now and kept talking.

"And then he tried to make it look like it hadn't happened," Spike continued, hoping Lou wouldn't notice he wasn't being completely honest. "C'mon, it was just a damn kiss!"

The slice of pizza almost slid from Lou's fingers. "Oh, man… You two kissed?" he asked, but he didn't seem as surprised as Spike would have expected.

"Kissed? No, I didn't say that." It was better to just deny everything… For some reason, Spike didn't even want Lou to know what had happened with Sam. "I'm not gay. Fine, we did kiss, but it didn't mean anything. It was a complicated night."

"A complicated night..."

"Yes… Don't jump to conclusions, Lou! It's not funny!"

From the way Lou was grinning, he was coming up with all kind of incorrect assumptions. "I'll try, but you're not exactly making it easy." He made a pause to enjoy his pizza. "You've sandwiched me, man."

"Okay, no more talking about sandwiches, and no more meat talk! It's gross."

"What? Okay… Listen, if you don't want to make a big deal out of that kiss, then why don't you talk to him instead of running away? You're hiding from the truth."

"What truth?"

Lou didn't say anything, but from the look on his face as he ate his pizza, Spike knew exactly what the answer was.

He was afraid of the unknown consequences of letting himself go.

**XxX**


	26. Treat Them Right

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 26/30 - Treat Them Right  
**Characters/Pairings: **Sam/Spike, Wordy.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating: **K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Wordy tells Sam what he has to do to fix things.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, weekend prompt: scars.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta: **The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Treat Them Right**

Adrenaline. Anger. Frustration. Sam let all those feelings out by taking it on the punching sack at the gym. Still, getting Spike out of his head was pretty hard.

A shadow approached him; it was Wordy, who apparently was worried about him. "What's that I hear about you and Spike fighting for Babycakes?"

Sam sighed and kept working out. Between short breaths he responded, "Well… things aren't all right between us, that I can tell."

"What happened? You were like best friends yesterday. For a moment, I thought Lewis or even Babycakes would be replaced."

"Oh, don't worry about that. He's made it very clear that she's his only perfect partner."

Wordy snorted. "Are you kidding me? I've watched Spike for four years now and there wasn't a day he didn't spend almost the entire time we weren't on a mission working on Babycakes. Yesterday he was proud of her, but he was actually paying attention to you. And today he didn't even finish fixing her after the argument you two had."

That managed to throw Sam out of balance. "Right… He's having dinner with Lou, which doesn't surprise me. I screwed up when we hung out last night, big time."

"Did you two talked about his father's death?"

That wasn't exactly the problem, but Sam remembered the conversation he'd had with Spike about that matter. "How did you know?"

"When Spike started out, his mother used to come here to bring him some good Italian stuff."

"Pasta?"

"Tiramisu," Wordy said. "Then she stopped coming, and one day she came back. She had to tell Spike that her husband just died. He took it hard. Lou was the only one who managed to cheer him up, that's how they became closer friends."

Sam had kissed Spike when he was vulnerable, remembering his father. "Damn!" he cursed, punching the sack harder. "I totally lost his trust." He stopped when Wordy got closer.

"When Shelly told me about her ex-husband, I could have gotten so mad at him that I could have ruined what I had with her. But I didn't," Wordy explained. "I waited for her to tell me whatever she wanted, whenever she decided it was best. All I had to do was make sure that when she trusted me, I'd be there to listen and try to understand what she'd been through." He took a deep breath. "Sam, the way to fix it isn't starting fights and certainly not messing around with Babycakes. You gotta treat confused, damaged people with respect. You gotta treat them right." Wordy patted Sam's shoulder. "So treat Spike right, okay? I'm sure everything will be all right if you do," he concluded, and he left.

His words hanged in the air. It was a good thing for Sam to hear that. Maybe Wordy was right. Sam punched the bag one more time before deciding to call it a day. If Spike ever wanted to talk, he'd be there to listen to every single word.

**XxX**


	27. Reward

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 27/30 - Reward  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike, Jules.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Jules has always been a very supportive person.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #11 Forgiveness.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Reward**

Taking a shower and putting some fresh clothes on felt amazing. Water managed to calm Sam down and wash away all the negative feelings. Now that he was seated on a bench putting his sneakers on, he was convinced that tomorrow would be a new day and that it couldn't be worse than today.

Someone knocked on the door and came in. "Hey."

"Hey, Jules," Sam greeted her, even if he wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone. She was a good friend and he still cared about her, even if they weren't together anymore. He was about to apologize again for not paying attention to her that day and thank her for her company when his cell phone rang, startling him. The Caller ID announced it was his father talking. Sam simply sent him to his voicemail.

Jules came by and sat beside him. "Who was it?"

"My dad," Sam responded nonchalantly as he put the cell phone in his bag. "Whatever."

"Everything okay?"

He didn't want to make a big deal out of it. "Nope, but that's normal."

Luckily, Jules decided to change the subject, but she picked exactly the one Sam didn't want to deal with. "Did you try to talk to Spike again?"

"Not really. I think I should just let it go and wait until he wants to speak to me again."

"Wordy said you two talked about Spike's father."

"Yeah…"

"Then…"

"I know, I know," Sam interrupted her. "I made a mistake. That's why I'm giving him time and space." He wasn't in the mood to keep talking about that. Especially when the real issue wasn't Spike's dad, but Sam's spontaneity.

"Okay." Jules stared at Sam for a moment. "I stick to what I said yesterday at lunch. I'm glad you could become better friends… even if it was only for a while."

It was amazing how supportive she was. "Thanks, Jules."

"You're welcome," she said with a sweet, understanding smile. "Hey, would you like to go out for pizza or…?" When she turned to the door, she saw Spike standing there. "So, Sam. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." She'd gotten the message and was willing to leave them alone.

Sam was surprised that Spike had come back to the station. Wordy had said he'd gone out to dinner with Lou, just like he'd told Sam. Why was he here now? Just in case one little "hey" could ruin everything again, Sam decided to remain silent and keep tying his shoelaces.

It seemed that not even a fly was around until Spike cleared his throat and muttered, "Listen, I… Could we talk?"

The magic words had been spoken. This was Sam's reward for taking some distance from Spike. Wordy's advice had been wise. "Sure, if you want to."

Spike took a deep breath and opened the door for him. "I want to."

Without even arranging his hair, Sam finished with his shoes and grabbed his stuff as fast as he could.

**XxX**


	28. The Third Eye

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 28/30 - The Third Eye  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike.  
**Word Count:** 500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Spike's mother is worried about her son.  
**Written for**: flashpoint_sru, #8 Chance.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**The Third Eye**

The station was almost empty; there were only a couple of people walking around. However, Spike guided Sam towards a lonely, dark corridor, just to be safe.

It wasn't easy to be face to face with him. They stared at each other but even if Spike had been the one to ask him to talk, no words wanted to come out of his mouth.

He was grateful that Sam didn't mind making the first move. "So…"

"So…" Spike repeated, conscious that he'd been practicing this on the way back to the station. It was ridiculous that he couldn't speak his mind now, but he could remember exactly how Sam's body had felt against his, how he'd pulled him closer and carefully caressed the back of his head. The idea of Sam having fantasies about him was still too much, though. When it came to that area, Spike felt like he was completely out of practice, even if he wasn't. "Um… I know I said I didn't want to do this, but…"

"I'm sorry," Sam interrupted him. He seemed to be honest; in fact, he seemed to regret what had happened at his apartment. "I'm… Your cell phone's ringing."

Spike had been too focused on Sam to notice his ringtone. When he picked up the call, he heard his mother's voice.

"Mickey?"

"Yeah…" Spike turned to Sam. "Could you give me a minute?"

"Sure," the other man responded, giving him a thumb-up and also some space.

"Oh, you're with Sam," Spike's mother said.

He went towards a corner to get some privacy. "Yeah, we're still at the station. I'll be back late tonight."

"Is everything okay? Because last night you didn't seem to be my Mickey."

"I wasn't feeling okay, but I'm better now. Sorry that I made you worried."

His mother didn't seem to believe his words. "I know you. Something happened to you last night. It's fine if you don't want to talk about it, but are you sure you're fine?"

The best way to calm her down was letting her know how much her son loved her. "Yes, and I know you're always there for me. I appreciate it very much." He heard her take a deep breath.

"I love you no matter what, _figlio mio_. Remember that."

"I know, and I love you too."

"I'd hold you so tight if you were here right now and cover your cheeks with kisses, sweetie," she told him, and he giggled at her endless hope for him to be happy. "You know, for a moment I thought I'd lost my third eye's vision or even my entire intuition. Glad to know I didn't. You know I count on it very much."

"You have nothing to worry about, Mom. Your third eye is working better than ever," he assured her, glancing at Sam. Spike knew the two of them deserved a second chance, no matter what came out of it. Even if he had to deal with his own, strange fears.

**XxX**


	29. No More Games

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, Part 29/30 - No More Games  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike.  
**Word Count: **500.  
**Rating:** K.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Apologies make it all better.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, #4 Regret.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**No More Games**

Once Spike's cell phone was closed, he went towards Sam, who was resting his back on the next wall. "No more calls." Standing in front of him, he felt how his heart was accelerating. "I wanted to apologize for…"

Apparently, Sam was very into interrupting him tonight. "I want to apologize for what I did." He paused and stood closer to Spike. "It was inconsiderate since you trusted me with personal things last night. I didn't bother to think about how you felt. You were… you are… obviously not into this and I respect that."

Spike wasn't surprised to hear an apology, but he wanted to make it clear how he felt about the kiss. After thinking so much about it, and especially after his talk with Lewis, he was convinced it was the right thing to do. "You didn't…"

"Let me finish first. You have the right to choose not to talk to me. I completely understand. No one knows about what happened, so don't worry about that. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or make you feel embarrassed," Sam stated. "You didn't do anything wrong. I assumed too many things. I pushed you. It was all my fault…" There were footsteps near them and Sam shut up to let a guy from team three pass by. Then he repeated in a whisper, "It was all my fault."

"Not exactly…" Spike admitted. "To be honest, I had no idea of what you felt... until you did what you did." He found himself not wanting to pronounce the word 'kiss.' "I don't know how to say this. I really don't."

"Then just say it. I need to know, Spike," Sam muttered. "I won't bother you anymore, I promise."

"I… well…" Spike rubbed the back of his head. "I think I liked it. You know…"

Sam seemed to realize what Spike was saying. His eyes were wide open. He definitely hadn't seen that confession coming. A few hours ago, Spike hadn't either. Feeling like he was going to pass out, Spike explained, "I've made you my target today, I admit it. I've… treated you bad, I've ignored you… I wanted to…"

"What? What did you want to do?"

Spike noticed how Sam was encouraging him to keep going. "You know, I wanted to…" He folded his arms, trying to be clear. "I'm confused. And I'm also curious about… what might happen. What it might be like… I've never had these ideas before. Does that make any sense?"

He shivered when Sam got closer and closer with a warm look on his face. The shadows were maybe too perfect in that particular corridor.

"You're curious. I can go with that." He was definitely giving Spike the chance to kiss him, and that was a quite attractive possibility.

"Okay, wait."

"Wha-?"

Spike placed his hand over the other man's mouth. "Shhh. I need a… I need a neutral territory." Sam obviously didn't understand, but this time Spike knew exactly what he meant.

**XxX**


	30. Neutral Territory

**Title:** It Began with a Tie, 30/30 - Neutral Territory (last part of this series!)  
**Characters/Pairings:** Sam/Spike.  
**Word Count: **500.  
**Rating:** K+.  
**Warnings: **None.  
**Spoilers: **None.  
**Summary:** Spike shows Sam a neutral place where they can talk.  
**Written for:** flashpoint_sru, weekend prompt: window.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Flashpoint.  
**Beta:** The awesome lillyg!

**XxX**

**Neutral Territory**

Looking out the big window of the briefing room, the world outside seemed to be a million miles away. Team three was on patrol and the place was nearly empty.

"Neutral territory, huh?" Sam said, breaking the ice once again.

Spike thought he owned him an explanation about why he'd brought him here. "Yeah. This is like the Sarge's place. He stays here almost every night to revise the reports. I could never have any kind of romantic thoughts in this room."

Sam snorted and raised his eyebrows. "Oookay… Are you freaking out again?" He sounded a bit disappointed.

"No," Spike assured him. "I told you… I don't know what that was. What we did, what I felt…"

"You really think I do? Well… actually, there's only one thing I know for sure," Sam said, staring at his own hands. His eyes were fixed on Spike's when he whispered, "I wouldn't mind doing it again."

In a silly attempt to not blush, Spike chuckled, "You're kidding."

"I'm not, and you know it."

Spike had to admit that Sam was absolutely right. "Out of curiosity, when did you find out you wanted to do it for the first time?" He watched Sam put his hands inside his pockets as he tried to come up with an answer.

"I think it was when you helped me out with that tie. My dad wanted me to wear a suit, remember?"

"I do…" The memories immediately came to Spike's head. He'd arranged Sam's tie one morning and since then, everything had changed. "Man, that was one ugly tie."

"The most horrible tie ever!"

They laughed at Sam's lack of a fashion sense, but within seconds he was already invading Spike's personal space again and nothing was funny anymore. He wasn't touching Spike, he wasn't pushing him to do anything. He was just asking for permission.

"There's no one here," he muttered over Spike's lips, making him nervous.

"I'd rather to not do it anyway…"

Giving up, Sam retreated and stared at the beautiful city one more time. "Okay, no problem."

It was now or never. If Spike continued acting like this, he'd never explore whatever he had with Sam. So he was the one to approach him now. He was the one to come closer and hesitate before kissing Sam. But finally, he managed to steal a little kiss from him, one that was good enough for him.

Sam was smiling when they broke apart. "Wasn't this your neutral territory?"

"It was… until now, I guess," Spike responded. The kiss had felt surprisingly natural and he felt like he wasn't carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders anymore. "So… how many times do you think we're going to do it?"

"Again… and again… As many times as you want," Sam responded, his warm breath making Spike shiver. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm all in." This time he went for a deeper kiss… one that Spike was willing and happy to accept and enjoy.

**The End.**

**XxX**

**Author's note: Thanks so much to everyone who sha****red their thoughts on this story. It means a lot and it makes me very happy that I could entertain you for a while. *hugs you all***


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